MedCruise selected as member of European Ports Forum

MedCruise will bring cruise ports interests at the forefront of European port related initiatives, following its selection as member of the European Commission's expert group 'European Ports Forum’.

The EPF is expected to:

- Exchange information on policies and initiatives taken at Commission level, Member State level or by port industry stakeholders and contributing to the priorities identified in the Valletta Ministerial Declaration of 10 April 2017 on the EU Maritime Transport Policy;

- Provide advice to the Commission on initiatives to promote and support a uniform implementation of Regulation (EU) 2017/352 establishing a framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports;

- Support the cooperation between Member States' authorities on matters arising from the implementation of the above-mentioned Regulation;

- Provide advice, analysis, information and data to the Commission to follow-up and monitor the strategy and actions outlined in its Communication: 'Ports: an engine for growth' (COM(2013)295) and, if necessary, update it;

- Provide advice, analysis, information and data to the Commission on any other matters related to the various Commission policies with an impact on maritime ports.

The Association of cruise ports in the Med and its adjoining seas has been has been selected on the basis of "the competence and experience of the organisation and its capacity to represent the position shared by stakeholders in its category.

We are looking forward to work with other experts representing the users of our cruise ports, providers of port services, port employees, port-cities, non-governmental organisations and not least European and Member States' authorities in order to advance the role of cruise ports in developing those policy initiatives that would facilitate the sustainable growth of cruise ports in the Med and beyond, says Thanos Pallis, MedCruise Secretary General, who will represent the Association at the European Ports Forum.

MedCruise is already active at the European front, being a member of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF), appointed at the expert group on “Skills and career development in the blue economy”, and contributor at the Stakeholders Advisory Group on Maritime Security. In 2014, along with the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and other European cruise port associations it formed the European Network of Cruise and Ferry ports, operating within ESPO.